It has been an agonizing roller coaster of a week for Toronto Blue Jays fans. Is there anything more dramatic than October baseball?

Welcome to the 134^th edition of The Sunday Spark, a series with weekly thoughts and highlights, nuggets of learning, and a simple living challenge for the week. In addition to October baseball, this week’s edition looks at plants that remove microplastics, indoor solar panels, and croissant-scented stamps.

On my mind this week: The agony and the ecstasy of October baseball

It has been an roller coaster of a week for Toronto Blue Jays fans as we’ve been experiencing the agony and the ecstasy of October baseball.

Just a little over a week ago, there was much rejoicing across Canada as the Jays—affectionally known across the country as Canada’s team—defeated the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series. For the first time in ten years, the Jays were headed to the ALCS.

We eagerly awaited the result of the Mariners and Tigers series to find out our next opponent, even staying up until the wee hours of Saturday morning as it took the Mariners 15 innings to get the job done.  

First the agony

On Sunday evening, the excitement in the Rogers Centre was electric as the Jays took to the field. But the Mariners quickly silenced shocked fans. The Jays’ bats that had been smoking hot during the series against the Yankees were suddenly quiet.

Fans were in shock when the Mariners handily took the first two games of the series in the Jays’ home park. Things weren’t looking good as the Jays headed to Seattle. I admit I started to lose hope.

Then the ecstasy

But all was not lost. In game three in Seattle, the bats came alive again and the Jays won handily by a score of 13-4. Game four saw the Jays victorious once again over the Mariners with a final score of 8-2.

Hope had returned to the great white north.

But the agony was lurking

Friday’s game five was a nail-biter. Then, the Mariners hit a grand slam in the bottom of the 8^th inning and went on to win the game 6-2.

Baseball is a lot like life

One of the things I love about baseball are the stories. You can’t help but root for players like Nathan Lukes who spent years in the minor leagues before being called up to the big leagues earlier this season. And 41-year old pitcher Max Scherzer’s hunger for another World Series win was evident on Thursday when manager John Schneider tried to take him out of the game. And let’s not forget Vladimir Guerrero Jr who was born in Canada to Dominican parents when his father played for the Montreal Expos. So many inspiring stories!

But the thing I keep coming back to is the resilience of this team. When things look bleak, they find a way to turn things around—giving us all something to cheer about. They always look like they’re having fun and enjoying being together. And even the biggest stars are quick to share credit with their teammates. That’s the sign of a great team!

We don’t know what will happen later today, but buckle up! It will definitely be exciting!

Go Jays Go!

Three highlights of the week

It’s important to celebrate big milestones and simple pleasures in life. Keeping the trend going, here are some highlights and simple pleasures of the week gone by:

• On Monday, we gathered at our niece’s house for a Thanksgiving dessert celebration. She has a 4-year-old daughter and 2-year-old twins, so it was a lively gathering.
• On Thursday, I travelled to Toronto on the train to attend the CEBS Canadian Graduation ceremony. It was terrific to spend time with friends and colleagues.
• We picked up our new vehicle on Friday. It’s sweet to have new wheels!
• I arrived safely in British Columbia on Saturday to spend a week with my daughter Laura. It’s so good to see her.

Things I learned this week

Life is all about learning. Here are three things I learned this week:

Plants work best to remove microplastics

Scientists have discovered that slimy extracts from okra and tamarind pods and fenugreek seeds can trap up to 90% of microplastics floating in water.

Researchers at Tarleton State University found that the sticky, gel-like substances these plants produce can grab onto microplastics and make them clump together.

Plant-based extracts show a lot  several advantages over synthetic alternatives. They come from renewable sources, break down naturally after use, and unlike current water treatment methods, contain no synthetic chemicals.

(Source: Happy Eco News)

Indoor solar panels

A new generation of solar panels can capture and convert indoor lighting into usable energy. This promising innovation could significantly reduce our dependence on disposable batteries and plug-in chargers.

Along with energy savings, these solar panels can help reduce electronic waste by replacing batteries in millions of devices that would otherwise require frequent replacement or recharging. 

(Source: Happy Eco News)

Scented stamps

France’s national postal service, La Poste, has rolled out a series of stamps that smell like croissants. The release of the stamps coincides with the national competition for the best butter croissant in southeastern France.

But my question is…when you lick the stamps do they taste like croissants?

(Source: Canadian Affairs)

This week’s simple living challenge – Turn off notifications

Simplifying life is a big part of living more intentionally. With that in mind, I kicked off the year with 52 ways to simplify your life this year, including a downloadable checklist of weekly tasks.

Our devices make our lives easier in so many ways, but they’re also a huge distraction. This week’s challenge is to improve focus by turning off notifications on your devices.

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I’d love to hear what you think about any of this week’s topics. Drop me a comment below and let me know your thoughts and ideas.